Melatonin as a Sleep Aid for Cancer Patients

Melatonin as a Sleep Aid for Cancer Patients: Evidence from a Clinical Trial

Sleep disturbances are common among patients undergoing cancer treatment, with insomnia significantly affecting quality of life and recovery. To address this, Kurdi and Muthukalai conducted “The Efficacy of Oral Melatonin in Improving Sleep in Cancer Patients with Insomnia: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study” (2016), investigating whether nightly melatonin supplementation could improve sleep outcomes in this population.

The study enrolled 50 adult cancer patients (20–65 years) diagnosed with primary insomnia according to DSM-IV criteria. Participants were randomized into two groups: one received 3 mg oral melatonin daily at 7 p.m., while the other received an identical placebo. The intervention lasted 14 days, with assessments at baseline, day 7, and day 14 using the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), which measures sleep induction, awakenings, total sleep time, and overall sleep quality.

At baseline, there were no significant differences between groups. By day 7, patients receiving melatonin showed a 19.91% reduction in AIS scores, compared to only 0.98% in the placebo group. By day 14, improvements became even more pronounced: the melatonin group demonstrated a 33.24% reduction in AIS scores from baseline, while the placebo group showed only a 10.42% reduction. Overall, 46.53% of melatonin patients achieved clinically meaningful improvement, versus 11.30% in placebo.

Notably, melatonin appeared to act quickly, with improvements already visible within the first week, and these benefits continued to build over the two-week period. No adverse effects were reported, suggesting that short-term melatonin use at this dosage is both safe and effective in cancer patients experiencing insomnia.

This trial highlights the potential of melatonin as a low-cost, well-tolerated intervention to improve sleep quality in cancer patients. Given the profound impact of insomnia on mood, energy, and treatment tolerance, these findings suggest a promising role for melatonin as part of supportive cancer care.

Reference:

Kurdi MS, Muthukalai SP. The Efficacy of Oral Melatonin in Improving Sleep in Cancer Patients with Insomnia: A Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study. Indian J Palliat Care. 2016;22(3):295‐300.